There are still relatively few waterproof phones in the marketplace, despite it being quite the killer of handsets, and it's a feature often relegated to phones at the premium end of the scale. Alcatel’s usual modus operandi is to enter the market with a basic or mid-range handset with just a few key killer features. In the case of the Go Play, it’s the inclusion of waterproofing.

Design

Neon-infused design isn't going to be to everyone's liking

Water resistance does its job admirably

Most cheap smartphones have utilitarian designs, but that’s not a criticism you can make of the Alcatel Go Play, which opts for a very 80s-feeling neon back on the phone, with a simple flat face. Whether that's a positive or a negative is going to depend on your personal tastes. On the software front, Alcatel’s basic Google launcher uses rounded icons that lack panache. While the fact it's Android means you can skin it as you like, out of the box it’s quite garish.

When it came to testing the Go Play's water-resistant capabilities, we’ll admit we had our doubts as to how robust a $299 smartphone would actually be. Nevertheless, the Go Play survived everything we threw at it, including multiple underwater dunkings. It uses the same approach as the Samsung Galaxy S5, with a protective flap over the microSD charging port that needs to be shut off to protect its internals. You may even have some luck operating it while immersed; we noted that while taking photos of it under a tap, the flow of water was able to trigger onscreen elements.

Of course, water resistance is only going to take you so far. Alcatel’s marketing image of the Go Play in the bubble bath might give you the impression it’s bath-friendly, but it’s a tad more complex than that. While the Go Play is IP67 rated, that’s for immersion in fresh water. Chances are reasonable that it would survive a quick dip in the hot suds, but technically it’s only "proof" against clean water, not anything with soap (or salt, chlorine or anything else) in it.

Camera

Decent but wholly unremarkable

In the budget space, camera optics can be woeful. The Go Play isn’t going to put the premium players under any real pressure, and it’s notably not much cop in low-light situations, but given its price point, its camera is perfectly acceptable.

Performance

Sluggish, even when compared to other mid-range handsets

There’s a price to pay for the Go Play’s battery life, and that's in the performance stakes. We didn’t expect the Go Play to seriously challenge the premium range, but even in the entry- to mid-level stakes, it’s a slow performer in day-to-day usage – something that was made even more stark when we threw Geekbench’s benchmark at it.

Handset

Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better)

Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better)

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

1492

4893

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

1324

4626

Google Nexus 6P

1251

4597

Samsung Galaxy S6

1347

4569

Apple iPhone 6S

2540

4410

Apple iPhone 6S Plus

2491

4391

Sony Xperia Z5

1358

4134

LG G4

1190

3313

Google Nexus 5X

1188

3198

Oppo F1

692

3083

Huawei P8 Lite

582

2612

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3

655

2461

Alcatel Go Play

453

1368

Battery life

Impressive longevity that beats out many more-expensive rivals

It’s usual in the budget space to see compromised battery life, but this wasn’t our experience with the Alcatel Go Play, which managed to very handily beat out a wide variety of much higher profile competitors in Geekbench’s battery test.

Handset

Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration

Geekbench 3 Battery Score

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

8:24:10

5041

Apple iPhone 6S Plus

7:48:10

4681

Alcatel Go Play

7:21:10

2941

Google Nexus 5X

7:14:20

4062

Samsung Galaxy S6

6:51:30

4115

Google Nexus 6P

6:39:20

3754

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3

5:42:00

2276

Sony Xperia Z5

5:41:30

3414

LG G4

5:27:50

3224

Huawei P8 Lite

4:39:40

2768

Apple iPhone 6s

3:52:10

2321

Its success does have to be tempered by the fact that it’s not packing the fastest processor by a long shot, but for practical purposes, this is a phone that should very easily last you through the day.

Verdict

A basic mid-range smartphone bolstered by its impressive water resistance

Like much of Alcatel’s output, the Go Play is strongly targeted at a budget-centric mobile phone buyer. If that’s you and you consistently find yourself in environments that would kill other smartphones, it’s a solid proposition at the $299 asking price.

Within the budget space, you’ve got plenty of other choices. There are handsets that have been specifically priced and targeted in this space, such as the Huawei P8 Lite or the Oppo F1, for example.

However, if you want waterproofing, your choices become more limited because that's typically been a premium handset feature. If your budget permits, the Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Sony Xperia Z5 Premium are all great phones, but you could buy three to four Alcatel Go Play phones for the outright asking price of those handsets. Your best bet might be the phone that the Alcatel Go Play’s rubber base flap reminds us most of, the Samsung Galaxy S5 if you can find one outright.

Pricing and availability

Alcatel Go Play

Water you waiting for?

Shrug off splashes and dance in the rain with the water-resistant Alcatel Go Play.

Alex Kidman is a multi-award-winning consumer technology journalist and the Tech & Telco Editor at finder.com.au. He's been writing about consumer technology topics for more than two decades, and enjoys breaking down complex topics into their component parts. He has written for just about every major Australian technology publication, and is a former editor of Gizmodo Australia, PC Mag Australia, and CNET.com.au.

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